One of the biggest challenges across media is the increase in options for consumers. When it comes to television, the advent of DVR and rise of cord cutters has correlated with a decline in cable subscriptions and overall TV viewership. But second screen social engagement gives fans a global community with which to discuss their favorite shows and might be fueling a revival in live TV viewing.

According to a report from Nielsen, the chatter during a live airing make up the majority of the weekly Tweets about a show, has an impact on more than just the people watching, and provide a ripe opportunity for increased viewership through DVR and streaming services.

Nielsen analyzed TV-related tweet impressions for 96 fall television shows and discovered that live tweeting accounted for 57 percent of the weekly Twitter TV impressions. What’s more, the audience using Twitter during the peak of live show conversation sees twice as many TV related tweets compared to the audience reached during non-airing times.

The study also indicates a behavioral shift as audiences in a couple ways. When the show is not airing, a third of the conversation is responses to recent episodes, while the majority of the conversation is often centered around the show brand or excitement about the upcoming episode, according to the study.

It’s not just audience behavior that changes, authors also engage in the conversation. However, authors who tweet during a live airing send twice as many tweets as they do on days when the show isn’t airing. The study also found that a small percentage of authors make up the non-live tweeting audience, and they send up to five times as many tweets during live airings compared to authors who only tweet during live hours.

The report offered several takeways, primary of which is that social TV activity is driving promotional impressions for weekly TV programs. Since the volume of TV related tweets increases during live airings, this spike is a great opportunity for cross-promotion.